Graphic Novel: Superman Smashes the Klan is simply smashing

Superman Smashes the Klan is part of DC’s line of books aimed at younger readers, which has been much praised in this space. Written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Gurihiru, this graphic novel is a surprisingly nuanced piece of work.

The nuances are surprising not because it’s a comic book, but because it’s a comic aimed at tween readers.

There are many layers here. Yang’s tale also answers the question, “Was there a point when Superman felt out of place because he’s an alien from the planet Krypton?”

The book is set in 1946, which at first seems like a cop-out. If you set an anti-Klan story in the past, then you can avoid thorny questions like “What if the U.S. has a president who came to power with the help of those who sympathize with the Klan?”’

But one of the layers Yang adds to the story is how racism is not solely about race. “You think the world is divided by race, but really it’s divided by power,” the Klan’s secret leader tells a subordinate.

And since money is power, accumulating cash is part of the organization’s modus operandi. It’s a timeless message.

Oh, and if you just want to see the Man of Steel beating on dudes in hooded white robes, there’s plenty of that, too.

Yang based his story on an old radio series and even though the Klan of the title is called the Klan of the Fiery Kross, it’s clear who the target is.

There’s a great moment when Superman rejects an entreaty from white supremacists. “You’re living proof of how superior a white man can be,” the Klan’s Grand Scorpion tells our hero, which triggers a set of events that ends in Superman revealing to the world he is also an immigrant.

Superman Smashes the Klan is more proof DC is doing a good job of hooking young readers on superheroes until they graduate to DC’s main continuity as they grow up.